A Fresh Start (Indians)

[Coach Owens]

Seattle's Will Thompson called me today. So cute, the kid thinks he can deal. He offered 1B Richie Sexson and C Kenji Johjima (74/77) [30] in exchange for Belliard, Byrd, and RP Edward Mujica (69/77) in Akron.

I have two fine first basemen. Theoretically I could put Sexson in the outfield, but Sizemore will be back eventually. Plus, Sexson's making a great deal of money. Johjima...well, having another backup catcher would be nice.

As for who he wants in exchange? He can HAVE Byrd. Mujica is neither here nor there. Belliard? Who does that leave with me at second? Joe Inglett?

Heck with it. Let's do it.

SEA-CLE: 1B Richie Sexson (84) [31] (.284 17-45 0)
SEA-CLE: C Kenji Johjima (74/77) [30] (.228 1-9 0)

CLE-SEA: RP Edward Mujica (69/77) [22] (AA)
CLE-SEA: 2B Ron Belliard (80) [31] (.225 3-24 0)
CLE-SEA: SP Paul Byrd (74) [35] (1-4 8.22 1 SV)

In the aftermath of this, Sexson becomes our new LF, Johjima our backup catcher. Hollandsworth returns to the bench, Shoppach reports to Akron to hopefully improve without accruing more Major League time.

In Seattle, Belliard becomes their new starting 2B. Byrd goes to MR, Mujica to A ball.

Meanwhile, I've officially tired of Wickman and his 8.79 ERA. He goes down and Andrew Brown (76/88) [25] (Rookie) gets to try.

So your face would like to meet my fist?

[dannymac910]

Richie Sexson!?!?!

[HoustonGM]

Richie Sexson!?!?!

Hey, this is 2006. Let's not let 2007 and 2008 color our thoughts.

Sexson is coming off a great 2005 where he hit .263/.369/.541 with 39 HR and 121 RBI, and he's got a .284 average and 17 homres so far in 2006. For a washed-up old starter, a poor second basemen, and a middling relief prospect, Sexson alone is a good haul. Getting a early-30's catcher is just a little extra.

Nice move.

[gosensgo101]

Even if Sexson doesn't pan out and Johjima doesn't play much, its still worth giving up an awful pitcher who won't be up again, an struggling infielder on his way out and a relief prospect who might get a hit of the majors in a few years, but likely not much more.

Good deal. And it gives you some pieces to deal. (Either Shoppach or Johjima plus one of your 1B or OFers once Sizemore's back.)

[PotatoOfCouch13]

Nice deal, and you don't even have to trade Sexson or Johjima, you can keep them around for depth, because you never know when injuries will strike. Plus, you needed a big outfield bat, maybe Sexson is that guy?

[rockiesfan4ever]

Big Sexy!

[Coach Owens]

Big Sexy!

More like Big Horrible Player Who Has Turned Into A Taller Version of Jose Vidro Which Is To Say He Sucks.

[CatKnight]

filihok: Any trade that commences with "heck with it" makes me nervos too! If Inglett gets hurt at second...well, I think the last trade I initiate will be to hopefully find a 2B.

I didn't know about Richie's history with the Indians. Hopefully it'll work out!

Coach Owens: My my, so violent!

dannymac910: Yep!

HoustonGM: Well, I DID warn everyone I don't know the modern players as well as say the late 70s and 80s. Sexson looks solid so far. We'll see how he does down the stretch. The only thing not to like about him is he's expensive ($7.1m)...but Byrd and Belliard together were over $10m. AND Seattle added I think $500K to the deal.

gosensgo101: Right. Byrd was declining in Omaha stat wise, and after another prospect or two develops I'd never see him again. Belliard was overpriced and getting old. I could spare Mujica. Incidentally, I watched the real Mujica pitch on Saturday. Ugh.

rockiesfan4ever: Let's hope so!

Coach Owens: You sound bitter.
*******

Loading the Back End


While our team continues to struggle and define mediocre play, it's time to get ready for oh...2011.

The Rule IV draft was surprisingly sparse. Very few credible players, none who looked like they'd storm the Hall of Fame. Perhaps that's just as well, for with our minors systems so badly depleted I have one goal: Restock.

I want at least one first baseman and two infielders. The rest...well, whoever looks like they can last.

Top Ten

1. KCR - CF Darrell Lund (63/87) [18]: One of the few prizes, Lund is very fast (87 Sp) and projects to be a Gold Glover in time. (99 Fld)

2. COL - 2B Reggie Pullen (57/93) [20]: Also really fast, and can really hit the ball. Batted .347 as a sophmore at Texas A&M.

3. PIT - LF Josh Brown (62/90) [20]: Another excellent fielder and hitter, Brown batted .377 as a sophmore at Stanford.

4. TB - 1B Mike Fowler (58/94) [17]: The quality of player is beginning to drop off, though Fowler had a nearly 2:1 walk:strikeout ratio as a senior.

5. SEA - 3B Josh Benson (54/93) [17]: Not much to recommend this guy. Again, good eye, but gets sick a lot.

6. DET - SS Brien MacLise (59/86) [20]: Pretty uniform development. Whether he can keep it up long enough to benefit the Tigers is the question.

7. LAD - C Tyler Murr (57/90) [17]: At over 2:1 walk:strikeout ratio, and a good fielder (82), Murr could have a long, satisfying career.

8. CIN - SS Greg Wymer (61/83) [20]: With 30 SB in two years at Stanford, and a 1.096 OPS this year, Wymer has real potential if the right organization can nurse him along for a few years.

9. BAL - 1B Andy Zilberfayz (54/93) [18]: Mediocre and even a little slow. MLB scouts have high hopes for Zilberfayz, but it might just be hype.

10. SF - SS Adam Hofer (54/90) [21]: A poor fielder who hit .238 as a college freshman, his development is largely theoretical.

Cleveland

1. SP Paul Wishart (49/94) [17]: I need fielders, but his upside is hard to ignore. Great endurance, decent power for a Rookie leaguer (63) and only missed 5 days in High School including 'senior skip day.' (8-4 2.97 81 K/63 I as a senior)

End 85/Ctr 51/Pwr 63/Mov 54/Def 73/Hit 59/Hea 82.

2. 1B Pete Collin (53/81) [20]: By now the picks were getting slim. He's a little slow, but has a strong arm. (What does a 1B need a strong arm for?) Like Wishart he rarely gets sick. (.272 11-50 0 as a freshman.)

Con 61/Pwr 68/Spd 57/Eye 68/Arm 70/Rge 61/Fld 64/Hea 81

3. 3B Marcello Rivera (50/79) [16]: A very bright kid who skipped a few grades when he was younger. No real detriments, but far too young to have any real strengths either. (.285 1-16 0 as a senior.)

Con 65/Pwr 54/Spd 66/Eye 63/Arm 69/Rge 63/Fld 69/Hea 78

4. RP Jeremiah Modzinski (48/79) [20]: You know someone with that name has GOT to be tough. Surprisingly good hitter, but loses his pitching power after only a few innings. (3-2 3.62 36K/50 I as a college freshman.)

End 26/Ctr 63/Pwr 60/Mov 54/Def 77/Hit 68/Hea 77

5. SS Tomomasa Hamano (48/72) [17]: Hamano emigrated from Japan at age 7 and speaks both Japanese and English fluently. He has quite the work ethic, and will need it if he expects to make the show. (.262 5-24 2 as a senior.)

Con 55/Pwr 58/Spd 66/Eye 57/Arm 67/Rge 62/Fld 64/Hea 77

6. 2B Danny Bartelt (49/70) [17]: Like Hamano, Bartelt will need to work hard if he wants this. (.272 5-16 0 as a senior.)

Con 57/Pwr 58/Spd 63/Eye 60/Arm 72/Rge 59/Fld 62/Hea 65

[filihok]

The Rule IV draft was surprisingly sparse.

You mean amature draft?

and per another thread:

If ALL the pitchers have DICE < ERA, then I need to find out who can't field for beans.

The answer is Richie Sexon

[HoustonGM]

You mean amature draft?

The Rule IV draft is the amateur draft.

[filihok]

Ah...Rule IV.

Most people only talk about the Rule V draft.

Muh bad...

[Coach Owens]

the Rule Iv Draft Is The Amateur Draft.

Oh! Pwned!

[SrMeowMeow]

Moar! Mooar! D:

[dannymac910]

[CatKnight]

filihok: As Houston sez, the Amateur Draft IS the Rule IV draft.

I don't know where this Sexson hate comes from. (Then again, I've not looked at his last two years' stats.) Through 2005 he's an EXCELLENT fielder.

At 1B he shows as .993 lifetime, LF 1.000. My playing him in LF is the first time he's played this position since 2000, and so far he's perfect.

HoustonGM, Coach Owens:

SrMeowMeow, dannymac910: If you insist
*******

Late June 2006

I walked into the clubhouse just in time to see Lou Brown erect a cardboard life-size picture of Ed Sinclair. Written above his head in a cartoon bubble were the words "YOU SUCK!"

"Alright girls. For those who don't know, this is our owner. He's already told Rob Knight and I that he's not accustomed to working with losers." Not quite true...though definitely the gist of it. To try and keep a straight face I scanned the players. Angry and disheartened in equal measure.

"Now here's the deal. Everyone else is giving up on us. Why? 'Cause we're the Indians, and except for getting lucky twice ten years ago we haven't done s*** since '54."

Even our local sports writers seemed poised to give up. Plain Dealer columnist and blogger Paul Hoynes was calling it a lost season, while Terry Pluto wondered what it would take to rouse us.

The answer wouldn't be Sinclair saying the team sucked though. Anger simmered, but didn't transmute into determination. We would have to find inspiration elsewhere.
*******

Barry Bonds has resurfaced...in Hawaii!

After much of Hilo was evacuated following a volcano breaking apart in the center of the isle, Bonds arranged a press conference in Honolulu. He didn't look well: Burns covered his face and arms, and his skin's darkened to obsidian. He moved slower, and his voice was raspy..but determined.

He declined to say how he wound up in Hawaii, except to confirm he was kidnapped. Then he stunned everyone by announcing his retirement:

Barry Bonds (LF, San Francisco) retires at age 41 after 20 seasons.
2006: .267 5-16 1,
Career: .300 713-1869 507, 2754 Hits
Teams: Pirates (86-92); Giants (93-06)
Awards: MVP (90, 92, 93, 01-04); AS (90, 92-98, 00-04); Gold Glove (90-94, 96-98); 3rd in career HR

"I've decided to stay in Hawaii," he said coldly. "I have unfinished business."
*******

And so begins a 10 game homestand.
*******

Baltimore (33-35) (3rd, -12.5g) at Cleveland (32-35) (3rd, -6g)

June 13: Orioles 3-0
LP: Glavine (6-6)

Glavine had another of his frightening performances, giving up 10 hits in 5.2 IP, but this time the offense wasn't there to help. The relievers tried to help with only Brown giving up a run in his debut, and Martinez went 3 for 4, but you gotta score to win.

June 14: Orioles 9-6 (11)
LP: Graves (1-1), HR: Martinez (9), Kouzmanoff (11)

We probably had this one until Martinez yielded a passed ball, and Carmona threw a wild pitch with bases loaded. We limped back, tying it in the 8th on a Martinez double and so to extra innings where we squandered a bases loaded, 1 out opportunity. Graves pitched 0.2 innings in the 11th and was simply wretched.

June 15: Orioles 9-1
LP: Lee(7-6)

On my birthday the Orioles gifted me with a humiliating loss. Lee gave up 5 runs in 4.2 innings, then Brown gave up 4 more in 1. Hafner went 4 for 4 with 2 doubles and our only RBI.

June 16: Indians 5-1
WP: Westbrook (4-3), SV: Graves (10), HR: Hafner (12)

Our first save in the better part of a month comes after 8 solid innings by Westbrook. We took the lead with a run in the second and two in the third, and never looked back.
*******

And we only lose half a game because Minnesota and Detroit are doing just as bad.

After payroll (and adjusting expenses) Ed calls to tell me we might actually lose money for the rest of the year. He expects results for what he's dishing out.
*******

Minnesota (39-31) (1st, +1g) at Cleveland (33-38) (3rd, -6.5g)

June 17: Indians 7-2
WP: Ramirez (3-4), HR: Hafner (13)

HoRam pitches a beautiful 8 innings, stumbling only once (a 2-run homer by Michael Cudyer). We tied on a 2-run double by Martinez, then took the lead for good on Hafner's 3-run shot. Blake's 2-run single completed the rout.

June 18: Twins 8-6
LP: Graves (1-2), HR: Martinez (10)

Leading 5-3 entering the ninth, Graves blows another save. Lou's been wanting to move Betancourt back to closer for awhile now. Maybe he's right. Five runs, including a 2 RBI triple and 3-run blast by Justin Morneau put us in our place.

June 19: Indians 14-5
WP: Glavine (7-6), HR: Kouzmanoff (12), Sexson 2 (19)

Tom gives up 5 runs, 3 unearned thanks to the hole in Kouzmanoff's glove. Our offense fires back with three big rallies and some nickel and diming besides. Sexson goes 4/5, 4 RBI. Michaels 3/5 2 runs. Kouzmanoff 3/5 3 RBI.

Kouzmanoff was a bit of a wildcard: Along with his error, he hit into two double plays...but of course his three-run homer, single, and run scoring double put him one step from hitting for the cycle. Brown continues to settle down, pitching 2.1 IP of scoreless relief.
*******

Well, not too shabby. We're off on the 20th as the Twins start chewing on the Royals, so in the end we only gain half a game.
******

Chicago (34-40) (4th, -7g) at Cleveland (35-39) (3rd, -6g)

June 21: Indians 6-4
WP: Perez (3-1), SV: Graves (11), HR: Sexson (20), Garko (10)

Trailing 4-0 on a depressingly hot day, Sexson and Garko hit back to back homers to pull us within one in the sixth. In the eighth Inglett singles home Kouzmanoff, then Michaels hits a 2 RBI double to give us the game.

June 22: White Sox 6-2
LP: Westbrook (4-4), HR: Peralta (6)

Westbrook doesn't impress. Neither do the relievers. Martinez scored our second run on TWO wild pitches by Matt Thornton in the ninth.

June 23: Indians 6-2
WP: Sabathia (6-4), HR: Kouzmanoff (13), Blake (8)

Our turn. C.C. gives up 1 ER in 7 innings. Sexson's 2-run double led things off, then Kevin's solo shot put us ahead for good. Blake's 3-run homer in the seventh added some insurance. Miller and Perez combined for two innings of perfect relief.
*******

Another day off, and we gain nada. Ed Sinclair called to congratulate me on our recent performance. "But if we're winning," he said, "then why aren't we rising in the standings?"

Well..because Minnesota's also winning. Anyway, the Tigers passed them and now sat in first place with the Twins 1 out.

"Fix it." He hung up.
*******

Now begins a nine game roadtrip. After that four at home, then the Break.
*******

Cleveland (37-40) (3rd, -6.5g) at Kansas City (27-49) (5th, -16g)

June 25: Indians 7-4 (13)
WP: Perez (4-1), SV: Graves (12), HR: Martinez (11), Hafner (14)

Hafner hit a two-run homer in the sixth to give us a 4-3 lead, but Glavine struggled through the eighth and KC tied. For four more innings our relief corps would duel until Andrew Sisco gave up 3 unearned runs on a 2-RBI Peralta single and wild pitch.

June 26: Royals 7-4
LP: Lee (7-7)

KC took a 5-0 lead as Lee didn't make it past the third. We struggled back, led by Hafner's 2 for 4, 3 RBI performance but the Royals slammed HoRam late.

After the game, Travis Hafner decided to 'discuss' HoRam's pitching with him. When the discussion is over, Peralta half-carried him into the trainer's room with a cracked rib. Hafner's now on the 14-day DL and out until after the Break. Grr.

June 27: Royals 2-1
LP: Westbrook (4-5), HR: Peralta (7)

Westbrook only has one bad inning, loading the bases before Mark Teahen hit a 2 RBI single. Unfortunately Peralta came up with our only response.
*******

This is the worst team in our division? What's it going to take to light a fire under this team? With Hafner AND Sizemore gone, is it too late?
*******

Cleveland (38-42) (3rd, -6.5g) at Chicago (36-45) (4th, -9g)

June 28: White Sox 6-5
LP: Miller (2-3), HR: Blake (9)

Carmona pitched 6 innings of credible ball before leaving with a sore bicep. (He'll probably miss his next start.) Too bad he can't stay in, as Perez and Miller blow it in relief.

A huge 5-run third led by Martinez's 2-run double and Blake's 2-run homer gave us the lead until Perez gave up two in the seventh. Rob Macowiak hit an RBI single in the eighth to give Chicago the win.

June 29: Indians 13-1
WP: Sabathia (7-4), HR: Martinez (12), Peralta (8), Blake 2 (11), Sexson (21)

We get five homers as we mow our way through six pitchers. Sox starter Javier Vazquez pitched hurt (and may miss HIS next start) giving up 6 runs in one inning. Sabathia on the other hand was brilliant, giving up 3 hits in 7 innings. Brown finished, pitching two shutout innings.

June 30: White Sox 8-4
LP: Glavine (7-7), HR: Martinez (13), Sexson (22)

A really good game until the 6th: We were tied 1-1 after one, and led 4-3 after two. Paul Konerko kicked Glavine out with a bases loaded double in the sixth, and reliever Matt Miller just made it worse.
*******

And so June is over. We finish 12-15 for the month, 39-44 overall, and 7.5 games behind Detroit. The Tigers AND the Twins need to stumble. Badly.